The World Health Assembly (WHA) approved a landmark resolution on Monday calling on the World Health Organization (WHO) to scale up its efforts to fight the impact of chemicals, waste and plastic pollution on human health and produce the data to back it up. The non-binding commitment spearheaded by Peru is the first time ever […] Continue reading ->
When Elvis Ndikum Achiri, a long-time veteran of tobacco control campaigns, began collecting data on air pollution in his community in Cameroon, he was surprised to discover how many people around him, both young and old, suffered from related illnesses even though they had never smoked – including a beloved high school teacher who had […] Continue reading ->
More lives are being lost to climate change every year than in the Holocaust and World War II, warned US Special Climate Envoy in an address before World Health Assembly delegates In a precedent-setting move, the UN’s annual Climate Conference of Parties (COP28) scheduled for 30 November – 12 December in Dubai will have a […] Continue reading ->
As a wave of cholera outbreaks spreads around the world, Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance said it expects the global shortage of oral cholera vaccines to continue until the end of 2025. Supply of oral cholera vaccines for preventative use could catch up to demand by 2026, but “urgent action is needed,” according to a vaccine […] Continue reading ->
The messiness of the COVID-19 vaccine distribution and the growing challenge of climate change emerged as key challenges at the World Health Assembly (WHA) on Tuesday in discussions on resolutions on preparing for future pandemics in Geneva. Representing 47 countries in the African region, Tanzania underscored the importance of greater equity and access to technology […] Continue reading ->
The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for focused action to address global warming and climate change to promote health outcomes. Recommendations include concerted efforts to reduce carbon emissions, build climate-resilient and sustainable health systems and protect health from the impacts of climate change. There is also a decline in the treatment coverage for tuberculosis […] Continue reading ->
Cutting global plastic pollution by 80% by 2040 is within reach if countries and companies commit to deep systemic changes in the way the world consumes and produces plastics, according to a United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) report released on Tuesday. The roadmap set out by the report is remarkably low-tech: reuse, recycle, and replace […] Continue reading ->
Landlocked equatorial Burundi is one of the poorest countries in the world – yet it scored the highest out of 58 countries for its plans to integrate health measures into its climate mitigation plan, getting an almost perfect score of 17 out of 18. Low- and middle-income countries were far more likely to include health […] Continue reading ->
Climate change is driving the spread of mosquito-borne arboviruses – dengue, chikungunya and Zika – into new areas, thus leading the world to newer crises, the World Health Organization (WHO) warned this week. Several countries in the Americas region have reported an increase in dengue, zika and chikungunya cases and that the pattern might repeat […] Continue reading ->
The International Monetary Fund’s (IMF) climate change policies are obstructing access to the financing required to prepare for and adapt to climate change in countries on the frontline, a new report by a task force representing finance ministers from climate-vulnerable nations said. The Task Force on Climate, Development and the International Monetary fund – the […] Continue reading ->